


where I belong

by daltonacademyfightclub



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Childbirth, Children, Cuckolding, Cunnilingus, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Moving In Together, Multi, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:57:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5469071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daltonacademyfightclub/pseuds/daltonacademyfightclub





	1. Shawn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Neffectual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neffectual/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Ohio Valley U](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5348300) by [daltonacademyfightclub](https://archiveofourown.org/users/daltonacademyfightclub/pseuds/daltonacademyfightclub). 



“I thought this was supposed to be a one-time thing,” Stephanie teased as Shawn and Hunter came in through the front door together for the fourth time that week. “You keep bringing home the strays, Hunter, you softie.”

Shawn hushed her, laughing in spite of himself. He knew that she loved to see him, and even though they’d seen each other less than twelve hours ago after Shawn rolled himself out of bed to head home and change clothes before work, it had been long enough. “Don’t pretend like you’re not happy to have this smilin’ face back in your life.”

“I am,” she admitted as Hunter tipped her chin up for a kiss. “Are we doing takeout tonight? I don’t feel like being productive tonight. ‘Sides, it’s Friday.”

“Sounds good to me. Shawn?” Hunter asked, the two of them looking at him as he tugged off his shoes, setting them next to Hunter’s by the door. Shawn looked up quizzically, eyebrows raised at the mention of his name. “You alright with doing takeout tonight?”

“Um, anything’s fine with me,” Shawn said, standing back up straight.

Steph smiled in that way that had Shawn on his toes before she even got the words out. “Great, so you can decide for us where, then.”

He groaned as she walked behind him, opening up the drawer of the table in the foyer and pulling out a stack of takeout menus from all over the city. “Hey, you get to eat whatever you want on our dime tonight, don’t look so down about it.” She handed him the stack before kissing him on the cheek, tucking his hair behind his ear as she pulled away. “If they don’t offer delivery, though, you have to go get it yourself.”

“Here, I’ll get drinks to hold us over.” He was looking down at the stack, its sheer size showing exactly how little Hunter and Stephanie used their kitchen. Hunter wrapped an arm around his waist, walking the two of them to the living room following Steph. “Just so you know, Steph’s hoping that you pick that Vietnamese place so she can get phō.”

“Don’t tell him my secrets!” Stephanie stopped and turned around, blushing and swatting Hunter on the chest as Shawn grinned. “He can pick wherever he wants, it’s his choice.”

“We’ll get Vietnamese, then,” Shawn suggested, finding the menu in question and handing it to Steph. “Just ‘cause you look so cute when you’re blushing.”

Steph stuck her tongue out at him but took the menu, heading to the kitchen as Hunter wrapped both of his arms around Shawn in the living room, dipping his head down to kiss Shawn’s neck. “I’m ordering you what I normally get, Shawn. Not too spicy, but it has enough flavor to where you’ll like it, I’m sure. Hunt, you getting your usual?”

“Huh?” Hunter pulled his head back up slightly. “Oh, yeah. That’ll be fine.”

“Steeeeeph, Hunter’s not being a good boy and sucking on my neck in the living rooooom,” Shawn whined with a shit-eating grin as Hunter lifted his head back up all the way and pouted.

“Now why’d you have to go do that for,” he groaned, keeping his arms around Shawn while Shawn tried not to laugh and Stephanie shot them a cross look from over the breakfast nook. “You know I can’t keep my hands off of him once I’ve got him to myself, babe.”

“You should have your fun with him now, then, ‘fore your punishment later.” The person on the other side must have picked up, because she turned away to start giving their order to them as Hunter just grinned and swooped Shawn up into his arms before he could wiggle away, taking him to the couch.

Shawn had to keep from squawking once he was airborne. “Easy there,” he cautioned, wrapping his own arms around Hunter’s neck. “You’ll get in even more trouble if you damage the goods.”

Hunter just smiled. “You’ll never be damaged goods to us, Shawnie.” 

* * *

Shawn sat outside the bedroom door in his boxers, fuming, the bottle of Jack open next to him. He could hear the two of them inside the bedroom, Steph obviously riding Hunter the way he could hear the bed rocking from where he was.

_Should’ve just done what she asked,_ he berated himself, palming his crotch to no avail. _Though I guess it wouldn’t matter with whiskey dick._

Stephanie had an issue with him taking his drinking to the bedroom, especially when he left the open containers on the counter. Even though he made sure he was careful and, honestly, it wasn’t _that_ big of a deal, he had to respect the fact that the ‘closed-door rule’ still stood and he was not allowed inside.

“Steph… baby, c’mon. I’m sorry, okay?” he begged despite knowing that once he was allowed inside he was going to be a sexual pariah for the rest of the night. “I won’t do it again, I promise. Please let me in.”

“Sucks to suck, Shawnie!” Hunter called back, probably reveling in the fact that he was the ultimate good boy in Stephanie’s eyes now that Shawn wasn’t in there with them. Seconds after that, he heard a _thwap_ of palm hitting skin and a slight yelp he had heard so many times before that Shawn just _knew_ came from Hunter.

“Don’t acknowledge him, he’s in trouble,” she scolded him, bed still rocking as they didn’t miss a beat. The little bit of alcohol that Shawn had managed to get down before he was punished was fading off, and honestly, what little he’d gotten wasn’t worth all this in the first place. Shawn sighed and got up slowly, taking the bottle of whiskey with him as he returned to the kitchen to put it away. 

It was starting to scare him a little bit how much he cared about both Stephanie and Hunter at the same time, but it felt natural at heart. It felt right to want them both equally in sexual and romantic ways, to snuggle up to their sides and have them toy with his hair until they all fell asleep after they reached climax (sometimes multiple times) together. Breakfast in bed was a lot sweeter when it involved both blueberry pancakes made fresh _and_ getting his dick sucked. He knew he’d loved (and still did love, because six years didn’t just fade away overnight) Marty, but perhaps he loved Hunter and Stephanie as well.

He wasn’t about to say it out loud, though, of course.

By the time he got back to the bedroom, the door had been cracked open slightly for him to come in. Pushing the door open wider, he got a better look at the scene before him: Stephanie was half-in, half-out of the covers but Shawn could tell she was naked while a sated Hunter reached for him lazily next to her also in bed.

“Looks like you two had a good time,” he said, watching as Stephanie scooted closer to Hunter to make room for them all to fit in bed together. “Shame I missed it.”

Stephanie shrugged, apparently not feeling too bad about doing what she did. “Not like there won’t be a repeat performance soon enough.” She spread her legs, knowing Shawn would find himself there shortly. “In the meantime, though, I do need you for something, Shawn.”

“Why don’t you just have Hunter do it?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest huffily, refusing to look either of them in the eyes as he got in under the covers.

“Because I know you’d rather,” Steph replied simply, reaching forward to stroke Shawn’s hair in that way she knew he loved. “C’mon, Shawn, I know you want to be a good boy for me and finish me off. Don’t you wanna show me you’re a good boy?”

The words tugged at his dick - which was finally in full working order again, no thanks to alcohol - and he found himself leaning forward to do her bidding. The smile on Stephanie’s face and her legs both widened, leaving just enough room for Shawn to get his mouth in there and on her in no time flat. Almost immediately he started lapping from top to bottom and back again, feeling her wetness mix with his.

“There’s my good boy, Shawn,” Steph said thickly, Shawn peering up curiously to see one of her hands wrenched in the covers while the other was holding the arm of her very pleased (and horny again; Jesus _Christ_ , was he insatiable) husband. He kept his movements slow, drawing out letters with his tongue to test the waters, starting to write his full name with his tongue dancing against and right under her clit. _S-H-A-W…_

“Oh, _fuck_!” Stephanie managed to clench her entire body, letting him know he was doing his job not only right, but damn well tonight. “Shawn, baby, keep going. Go on, keep going…”

He did as she asked, moving from using his tongue to sucking with his lips as he pleased until Stephanie was absolutely trembling with pleasure. It was a good thing that he had shaved that morning, considering how much of his own spit and her juices were falling from his mouth and her slit to his chin.

Hearing Steph come and feeling it at the same time against him sent shivers down his spine that only ensured that he was hard as a rock by the time he pulled away and wiped his face. “Good?” he asked playfully, laughing out loud as Stephanie pulled him up to her lips to kiss him square on the mouth before Hunter did the same afterwards.

“Wonderful,” she praised him as he laid back down next to her, moving to where he was under her arm. “You’re such a good boy, Shawn; such a good boy for me.”

Hunter reached over on his side for the remote to turn off the bedroom lights before doing the same as Shawn, a hand draped all the way across Stephanie and touching him on the side to make them all connected somehow. “Night,” Hunter said wearily, and it didn’t seem like even a minute had passed before he heard the quiet snores that let him know that at least one of them was truly asleep.

“Steph?” he asked quietly, not wanting to wake Hunter up again but needing something, _anything_ to offer him relief. “Do you think you can, um -”

“Nope.” She cut him off quickly, knowing exactly where that conversation was bound to be going. “You lost that privilege earlier tonight. We’ll see about it tomorrow.”

“Oh, come on,” he complained, rutting up against her thigh slightly. “Hunter’s asleep, he doesn’t have to know that I got away with it just this one time.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her breast. “Have mercy on my poor, horny soul.”

She scoffed as he tried to keep going, getting some friction but far from enough. “Do you want to sleep on the floor? Because that’s where you’re going if you keep it up.”

He tried it again, peppering kisses to try and fluster her into giving in. “Come on, just a little bit - whoa, okay,” he held on tight as Stephanie gave him a slight shove to show she meant business. “Alright, fine.”

He felt a kiss pressed to the top of his head as the same hand that shoved him gently rubbed his side. “Thank you for listening, my good boy. Now get some sleep.”

Admittedly, being snuggled up inside a warm bed with the people he loved, regardless of whether he had come or not, made sleep at least one order that Shawn could follow. 

* * *

It was weird for Shawn going back every morning to his apartment, only further cementing the idea that he didn't _truly_ belong at Hunter and Stephanie's in his mind. For a place he spent $1000 on to rent each month, by now he was lucky to spend more than two hours every day using it.

“You should really just leave a week's worth of clothes here and forget about it,” Hunter suggested one day as he made Stephanie hot tea one morning while Shawn searched the living room to figure out where he'd misplaced his keys. “Or you can just borrow my shirts.”

“I'll never be able to fill out your clothes the way you do,” Shawn replied, looking up at the other man's pecs as he stirred a single sugar packet into the tea cup. “Besides, Steph already hates doing laundry. I'm not about to give her more of it.”

Hunter snorted. “You think _she_ does the laundry? Maybe every once in a while.”

“I can hear you talking about me, you know,” a voice came drifting down the hallway, preceding Stephanie in her big fluffy robe by only a few steps. “If you weren't making me tea, babe, I'd be a little pissed.”

“You're always a little pissed,” Shawn teased, going over to her to get a little bit more closeness in before he had to go, expecting to be pushed away for his forwardness. Instead, she held him close with one hand rubbing his back, the two of them just standing there while Hunter looked on nonchalantly, waiting with the tea.

“Better?” Steph asked after he pulled away, smoothing her robe again.

“Much,” he said, spotting his keyring on top of the entertainment center and grabbing them. “I'll see y’all tonight, text you when I’m on my way here. Rent went up on the apartment and I’ve got to move some money around to make it work.” Shawn grinned. “Looks like retiring in Boca Raton’s not in the cards anymore.”

Stephanie shot Hunter a look, but then again, he was always the subject of looks between the two of them. Not too different than usual.

“See y’all tonight.” He dared to give Stephanie another hug before going over and doing the same to Hunter before going. He’d figure something out in the end.

There was a knock on the door two hours later as Shawn sat in his bedroom on his laptop, trying to figure out exactly how to work the online transfer system. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” he called, heading to the door with mouse still in hand. “If it’s a package, just leave it by the door!”

When he opened up the front door, however, there was not a package in sight. Just Stephanie McMahon, looking slightly uncomfortable but still proper as ever. “May I come in?”

Shawn had a fleeting thought that only vampires tended to ask that before coming in. “Of course,” he replied without missing a beat, stepping aside to let her walk in. “Pardon the mess.”

Stephanie took a look around from where she could see part of the living room and into Shawn’s bedroom from her current vantage point before grinning. This couldn’t have been a good first impression for Stephanie to see his home, though he had to admit that he didn’t exactly give off airs of hypercleanliness in the first place. “So excuse it all?”

Shawn snorted. She did have him there. “Basically, if you’d be so kind. Here, I have to finish doing this transfer thing and then I’ll get you something to drink.” He gestured for her to follow as he went back to his bedroom, looking at the dirty pile of underwear in the corner that he needed to get to as soon as possible and wincing as he sat back on the bed.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be here long enough for that.” Stephanie looked around the room, her eyes seemingly scanning every nook and cranny as he set about fixing his finances again. After a moment, she spoke up.

“Hunter and I would like you to move out of this apartment and move in with us.”

Shawn swore his heart stopped. “Uh,” he started to say, looking up to meet her eyes. “What?”

“Move in with us. We can start tonight; Hunter can come over and pick up everything you can’t fit in my car and your truck, start on getting your mailing list redirected to our house -”

The world was spinning around at a fever pitch and Shawn couldn’t keep his head straight as Stephanie continued to ramble off her premeditated game plan and he remained motionless on the bed, hand now off the computer mouse. “No.” Shawn managed to get the single word out weakly at first, repeating it more strongly a second time. “No.”

Stephanie stopped. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“I mean it. I’m not moving in with you two.” He got up from the bed, standing in front of her. “I don’t need your pity, and outside of your bedroom, the power dynamic ends. I’m a grown man, Stephanie, dammit.”

“And Hunter’s not?” Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest, only making the image of the two of them staring each other down look more like a Mexican standoff to the untrained eye. “Don’t be stupid, Shawn. I wouldn’t be over here for Hunter’s sake - for _my_ sake too - if I didn’t think it would benefit you too.”

“Benefit me how? I’m making just as much, maybe just a _little_ less than you do. I’m not wanting for anything. I live here because I grew up living below my means to save up for something better.” Shawn watched as Stephanie’s arms dropped again to her sides, unable to meet her gaze again as she looked away. “You think I’m still moping over my ex deep down and this is how I’m handling it away from you two? You don’t think I can handle myself? ‘Cause with or without Marty, before I knew _any_ of you, I was doin’ just damn fine by myself and I didn’t need no one -”

“It’s not home without you,” Steph blurted out, looking back at Shawn again. “It doesn’t feel right to get home and not have any proof that you’ve been there. Hunter didn’t _send_ me over here, per se, but he misses you when you’re gone too, Shawn.”

His heart rose in his throat a little as she spoke. She was practically begging him at this point.

“Come home, Shawn,” Stephanie said, her voice breaking a little and hammering the last decisive nail into the coffin on where he was going. “Come home.”

“Well, damn, Stephanie.” Shawn spoke softly, looking around at the clutter he called his bedroom. “This is gonna take a while to clean out.”

Stephanie marched over to the pile of dirty underwear, picked it all up in one deft swoop, and dropped it in the empty hamper next to Shawn’s bed before picking the hamper up to carry herself. “I’m washing this at my house. I’ve done my part.” And with that, she walked back out of the room and out of the apartment overall, Shawn hearing her now slightly-heavier gait click down the stairs and outside to the parking lot.

Five minutes after she’d left, he realized that he had no underwear left. As tempting as the idea of going commando was, jeans against dick was actually pretty unappealing in the long run. _Let Steph know I’m coming over with more underwear & clothes_, he texted Hunter as he got the rest of his laundry together and closed the banking website on his laptop.

It was only after he’d shown up to what was apparently his new home sheepishly and gotten ambushed with kisses and the rest of his laundry spirited out his hands by an absolutely giddy Hunter Helmsley and a surprisingly _not_ smug Stephanie McMahon that he realized that maybe, just maybe, he _was_ home.


	2. Hunter

Hunter noticed that once Shawn was moved in for good, the entire dynamic of the house changed. “I can’t kick him out of bed for punishment now,” Stephanie whispered to Hunter one day as the three of them laid in bed one early summer morning, Shawn still asleep and Simba sitting primly at the foot of the bed and refusing to go any further because of Shawn’s position in between the two of them. “It’s his bed now too. I’m going to have to get creative.”

“Well,” Hunter said, looking down at Shawn and stroking his hair, “I know you can do it. But look at how cute he looks right now, babe.”

Stephanie chuckled. “You’re still so damn smitten.”

That wasn’t to say that Stephanie wasn’t the exact same way. Hunter knew his wife like he knew his own mind, and every night that she held him close, like he was going to try and escape in the night, a part of her was terrified that he was actually going to. They’d wake up in the morning and find him gone without a trace, out of their lives again like he’d never actually been in it.

One time, months later, Hunter does. Maybe it was the chill against his bare front from where he was typically spooning the other man from behind or simply fate, but he stumbled into the living room to see a very awake (and very there) Shawn watching a late-night comedy special without a care in the world.

“You _fucker_ ,” Hunter hissed. “Get back in bed.”

Shawn jumped at the new voice, turning around to look at Hunter calmly. “I’m not tired, Hunt -”

“I don’t care.” He shook his head, jutting a thumb back to the direction of the bedroom, rubbing his eyes with the other hand. “Get back in bed, now.”

He knew all he was doing was getting Shawn testy and it was late, but knowing Stephanie, one night of Shawn sulking in bed and not talking to him would be worth not incurring Steph’s wrath. How both of them managed to get out of bed and make it out of the bedroom without waking her or making Simba meow like a feline alarm was beyond him. “I’ll just keep you both awake. Seriously, let me stay out here for the night and I’ll explain it to Steph in the morning.”

“If Steph wakes up and you’re not there, she’s going to flip. Get back in the fucking bed.”

“Looks like _you’re_ already flipping,” Shawn countered with a smirk, yelping in shock when Hunter grabbed Shawn by the hand, yanking him up with one hand and shutting off the TV and living room light with the other. If they were still lucky, it would be like neither of them were ever gone.

Of course, that wasn’t the case.

When they get back, Steph was already awake, and wherever the little furry lump known as Simba was was not the bed anymore. Hunter closed his eyes as he pushed the door open more again to get both him and Shawn through, bracing himself for beration, but just reopened his eyes to see one of the loves of his life sitting up straight in the middle of the bed, her mouth a thin line of rage but huddled up, holding her knees under the covers.

 _Worse than I thought,_ Hunter thought to himself, but then again, he had to admit that any romantic emotional reaction he experienced now that Shawn was here was amplified twofold.

Neither of them said anything, instead Hunter taking his usual place on the right side of the bed while Shawn flanked Stephanie on the left. They curled into her, Hunter coaxing her back into lying down with soft strokes up and down her arm, but he knew that it wasn’t going to be him that she turned to tonight.

It wasn’t going to be Hunter who she pressed her face into, nor would he be the one who felt her shuddering almost-sobs against his neck. He had felt both of those before, but tonight was different. Shawn hadn’t meant to scare her, but what’s done was done.

“I don’t do weakness,” Steph had told him on their first official date after they got back from the conference that started it all, and Hunter remembered the scene vividly. She was wearing a navy dress that was so well-suited for her figure that Hunter’s first thought was that she’d been poured in it, and as she spoke those four words, she had lightly accented them with a tip of her wine glass.

That was before she’d made her home with Hunter, _in_ Hunter, and now in Shawn too. She’d never admitted it out loud, but Hunter had been a part of enough pre-marriage counseling sessions to know that the emptiness of their minimalist bedroom at night was far too similar to what Stephanie had thought all her life that she’d deserved in relationships before they’d tied the knot.

Hunter figured that’s why she’d been so upset at the idea of letting Shawn in at first. Some deep-seated fear of being forever alone coupled with the fact that, at the end of the day, Hunter didn’t _need_ McMahon money, must have come together in her head to try and convince her that Shawn was going to steal him away one night and then for good.

He rubbed circles in Steph’s back gently, shushing when the whimpers got too loud, and knew that tomorrow when the three of them had to talk this out, he and Shawn being the best husband and lover - the best boys - they could possibly be was the most important thing to do.

* * *

“We need to figure out what to get her for her birthday,” Hunter told Shawn after Stephanie left for her weekly spinning class. “If we get it chosen now, then if it needs to be customized or something it’ll get here in time.”

“Are we doing birthday Hanukkah for her too?” That was Shawn’s name for what Steph did for both of their birthdays: being only five days apart meant that they not only celebrated both of them at the same time, but with a ton of little gifts leading up to one major gift for each guy. It was frivolous, sure, but it was one hell of a way for Stephanie to show how much she cares.

“Something like that.” Hunter sat on the couch next to Shawn with his laptop, making room for readjustments when Shawn decided he wanted a closer view and crawled into his lap. “I usually get her less things in number, but they’re of a better quality.”

“I see.” Shawn pointed at a picture of a Pandora charm bracelet on the laptop screen. “Get her that, and I can get her the charms that go along with it.”

“That’s gonna be her Christmas present, already decided.”

Hunter loved spoiling Stephanie with material goods, even though she insisted that she didn’t need them. It was almost hilarious the way her face lit up when she opened up Hunter’s gift of something that she had only brought up in passing weeks before. “Oh, you shouldn’t have,” she always said, kissing him square on the lips.

“Yeah, but you know me, always doing what I shouldn’t do,” was his standard reply.

“You know what a really interesting present would be?” Shawn kissed Hunter on the cheek when he turned to look at him. “Maybe an addition to our little family.”

Hunter wrinkled his nose. “Like a foursome instead of a threesome? And look at you, calling us a little family.” He pecked Shawn back on the cheek. “I don’t think Steph would be down for that. I’m happy with it just being the three of us as is.”

“No, I mean…” Shawn started to blush, ducking his face into Hunter’s shoulder. “Little additions.”

“Like kittens?” Hunter had always wondered if Simba got lonely when the three of them went to work, regardless of the fact that the little guy ruled the roost even when everyone was there. “Is this ‘cause Simba won’t sit on your lap? All you have to do is tide him over with cat treats and scratch behind the ears -”

“The pitter-patter of little feet, Hunter. Children.” Shawn probably wasn’t expecting silence on Hunter’s end, but he’d been through this before with Stephanie herself. It was best to nip this in the bud before he took it further up the totem pole. “Hunt?”

“I’m going to have to say no to that one as well, babe.” Hunter shook his head. “Steph and I - and now you too - really are too busy to worry about kids right now. We’ve gone back and forth on it for a while, but in all honesty we wouldn’t be able to give the kids the attention they deserve. Take it from someone who knows firsthand: money and a nanny at your beck and call doesn’t make up for parental abandonment.”

Shawn shook his head. “Y’all two wouldn’t do that, and I wouldn’t let it happen even if I saw it coming.” He wrapped his arms around Hunter’s upper body, and even though Hunter had come to terms with his and Stephanie’s decision a long time ago, there was a little niggling part of him that agreed with Shawn. The three of them could make it work.

“You know, Shawn, maybe you’re right. Maybe if we talked to Stephanie together -”

“No,” Shawn insisted, putting his forehead on Hunter’s. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

In hindsight, that was where everything went wrong.

“I _refuse_ to share you with anyone but Hunter, Shawn!” Hunter heard Stephanie yell in the living room from where he was lying in bed in the back.

“I don’t - that’s not even close to what I’m talking about!”

“What’s going on?” Hunter asked, power-walking in, ready to do damage control. “What’re we yelling for?”

“He wants to bring other people into the relationship.” She only turned her head to Hunter for that sentence, rounding back on Shawn. “Where would you bring them, huh? Not in our house, not where we’re a _family_ -”

“I’m talking about kids!” Shawn cut in, Stephanie looking shocked at the outburst. “I don’t want anyone else to fuck, but _fuck_ , can I get a word in edgewise here?”

Hunter took advantage of the following silence (regardless of the fact that Stephanie looked like she was torn between attacking Shawn and passing out on the spot) to walk past them both to the kitchen. Time to sort this shit out.

“Both of you, table, now.” Hunter was surprised at the tone of his voice at first; the dynamic of their sexual relationship tended to blend into the overall relationship on occasion, but he could still bark out orders if need be. “Sit down and _shut up_.”

Both of his lovers obliged - though Stephanie didn’t sit down without a flouncy ‘hmph’ first - while Hunter got to work on something else to keep each of their mouths busy while they hashed this out. Green tea was Stephanie’s drink of choice, but for Shawn and himself he knew he’d have to break out something a little stronger to take the edge off.

“Now,” Hunter started off, placing Stephanie’s tea in front of her and Shawn’s whiskey in front of him before sitting down with his own tumbler. “We are going to talk this out like the mature adults we are. No yelling, no interrupting, nothing. I’m not going to be in the middle of a house-wide argument that drags on for God knows how long.”

Stephanie swallowed, taking the initiative to speak first. “And I understand that, and I’m sorry for yelling. Honestly,” she apologized, looking between both men. “But now that I understand _exactly_ what we’re talking about here, I need you to understand that this decision has already been finalized, Shawn.” She reached over and put her hand over his as Shawn took a swig of his drink. “I had tubal ligation surgery - kind of like a vasectomy for women - four years ago, right after Hunter and I got married. Having children now… well, I think it’d be next to impossible, biologically.”

“So we adopt,” Shawn suggested, shrugging. “I know the three of us combined would give a kid the best damn life they could possibly have, and we have time for it.” He looked at Hunter to back him up, but Hunter just kept his face neutral, not wanting to lean any which way and alienate someone. “Believe me, if we have time to goof around on the laptop or play video games, we can make time when needed.”

Hunter turned to look at his wife. “Stephanie?” But she stayed silent, looking down into her tea like something inside held the trump card that would let her dominate the discussion. “Do you have anything else to say?”

“No,” Stephanie said quietly, looking up. “That’s my final answer, and I’m sticking to it. If it were to happen naturally, it would involve _my_ body, and if we adopted, I’m part of this household and it would partially be _my_ decision.” She got up from the table, leaving her cup of tea there. “So, no. I don’t have anything else to add.”

Hunter remained quiet after Stephanie left the dining room, looking down at his whiskey while Shawn polished off his own in short order. It was a little concerning how cavalier the other man was with his alcohol intake, but now was definitely not the time to bring it up.

“You gonna go in there and talk to her?” Shawn asked gruffly, head still down looking at the table rather than Hunter, his hair in his face.

Hunter shook his head before he remembered where Shawn was looking. “No. Sometimes it’s best to leave her to her own devices. Besides, she already stated her case. There’s nothing more to say here,” he continued, getting up himself and taking his and Stephanie’s cups back into the kitchen. “What’s done is done.”

When Shawn was out of his line of sight, he heard the sound of a chair scooting backwards before pretending not to notice as Shawn “snuck” by to go to the master bedroom and see the aftereffects of this past conversation for himself. He knew Steph wouldn’t even try to kick him out of the room, nor would she scream and yell until she got her point across over again. She’d probably remain where she was either at the desk or on the bed, eyes focused on some point in the distance as she answered questions directed to her out loud but kept her true opinions to herself. That was just how she operated.

Still, it couldn’t hurt to see where things would go.

Hunter waited until he was sure that Shawn was inside the bedroom with Steph before making his move to go back to the back. “I’m sorry for pushing you,” he heard Shawn say, the telltale sound of covers rustling letting him know the two of them were on the bed. “It’s not my place to tell you how to live your life, no matter what part I play in it now, and I’m sorry.”

“You weren’t telling me what to do, you were just offering suggestions,” Stephanie assured him. “And Hunter and I should have made our views on things like this clear from the beginning. If we had, none of this would have happened.”

There was more shifting around from inside the room, and if Hunter’s guesses were as good as they usually were, Shawn likely had Stephanie in his arms, offering tactile comfort and support. Hunter wanted nothing more to join them, and he knew he could, that this wasn’t a secret kind of love that he was forbidden to see, much less join in on, but in his heart of hearts something told him that intruding would be tarnishing something sacred. Eavesdropping on his own bedroom door would have to do.

“Why don’t you _really_ want to consider kids, Steph?” Shawn’s voice was gentle and impartial, only questioning for the sake of things. “You not having time just sounds so… ridiculous.”

Hunter heard Stephanie sigh. “I don’t think I have the temperament, honestly. Not that I would lash out or be abusive -”

“Well, of _course_ not.”

“But I’m not a happy, nice person overall.” She chuckled in spite of the tension that was permeating the area. “Let’s be fair: I’m a bit of a bitch.”

“Aren’t we all?” Shawn mused, and Hunter couldn’t help but grin. As much as he would assure them to their faces that they were the best, most loving people he knew, well… Shawn wasn’t exactly wrong. “Look, I know I talk too much, I’m abrasive, but just like you said with how you had hard limits when it came to how you imagine you’d be as a mother, I know that I’d probably make a halfway-decent dad if given the chance. And I know Hunter would be the same way.”

“Actually, he’d probably be the most patient out of all of us,” Stephanie supposed, Shawn making a noise in agreement that only served to make Hunter blush. By this point, he was practically in the room, right outside the door so he wouldn’t miss a thing.

“Look,” Stephanie said a second later. “I’ll think about it, okay? But it’ll likely be adopting if it ever happens. Four-years-ago me didn’t plan for a wrench in my plans like this.”

There was the sound of Shawn kissing Steph’s cheek before Hunter heard the other man’s voice again. “Sounds good to me. But I think we should let Hunter know ASAP.”

“He’s already heard,” Stephanie replied, smugness absolutely oozing from her voice as she spoke. “I can hear him practically breathing down the door.”

Hunter was indignant. “I do _not_ breathe that loud!” he denied as he came in, not admitting to anything else. “I was perfectly silent out there.”

Sure enough, the two of them were in the exact position Hunter had envisioned in his mind when he finally caught sight of them. “Whatever you say, dear,” Stephanie said calmly, opening up a free arm for Hunter to get under. “See how we worked it out without yelling?”

“I do see,” Hunter replied as he accepted his spot on Steph’s right side, kissing her temple as he sat.

Shawn leaned over to interlace the fingers of his free hand with Hunter’s own. “And we couldn’t have done it without you.”

Hunter swelled with pride, even though he had to admit Shawn was inflating his importance a little bit. Sometimes, it felt good to be the peacekeeper.


	3. Steph

Stephanie McMahon was not a quitter. So when she found out two months later, right before her birthday, that she was pregnant, she knew that there was no way in _hell_ that she was giving this baby up.

It all started with what she thought was just a case of food poisoning. Sure, the clam bake last night the three of them had had out on the patio had some rotten pieces in it when they first sorted the package out before boiling, but it was possible that a cracked shell or two had slipped through the mix and ended up on her plate. All Hunter and Shawn could do was hold her hair back from hanging over the toilet and get her water when she was done.

“Babe,” Hunter asked carefully after the third straight day of morning sickness. “Have you skipped your period this month?”

That was surprising, coming from Hunter, who usually left more… _feminine_ topics up for discussion between her and Shawn alone. But it wasn’t anything to worry about.

“Yeah, but you know I don’t get it every once in a while, stress and all.” Shawn came back into the bedroom with a tall glass of water. “What, do you think I’m pregnant?” She couldn’t see Shawn face after he turned around to get a new shirt for her out of the dresser drawer, but she had a feeling that he was absolutely ecstatic at the idea.

Hunter shrugged. “Doubt it, but who knows? I’ll run to the store and pick up a couple of tests to find out.”

Thirty minutes later, Stephanie found out that even her reproductive system was an overachiever.

“This can’t be happening,” she muttered while the three of them stared down at the two positive pregnancy test on the counter. “This cannot. Be. Happening.”

“Apparently it is,” Shawn said, picking up one of the tests between two fingers gingerly. “How far along are you, do you think?”

“Can’t be more than a month, since I had my period the month before.” Steph bit her lip, looking at Hunter anxiously. “How are we going to explain this to my mom and dad? I mean, there’s a decent chance that the baby could be either of yours, and we can’t really keep up the excuse of Shawn just being a really close friend if Mom decides she wants to stay with me on maternity leave to help -”

“I’ll get a hotel,” Shawn suggested. “It’ll be cheaper than the apartment, and I don’t mind making it work for ours and the baby’s sake.” A grin slowly grew on his face as he said the last few words. “Isn’t that crazy? We’re going to have a baby together, all three of us.” He put the pregnancy test down, kneeling down to be at eye level with Stephanie’s stomach and putting a hand just above her navel. “Hey, little guy. You can call me Papa.”

“Stop that,” Steph said, brushing his hand away. “We don’t even know if it’s a boy or not.” The very thought of finding that out was overwhelming at the moment. There was so much to do already, and now _this_ came along. Honestly, though, now that it happened? She wouldn’t change it for the world.

Shawn stood back up, kissing her cheek. “I don’t know what would be cuter if it _is_ a boy: mini-Hunter or mini-me. He could be a tiny boy-you, of course -”

“Shawn, you’re rambling,” Hunter cut in.

“But I’m going to go make coffee. Holy shit, this is really happening!” He kissed her cheek again before heading out of the bathroom, heavy excited footsteps all the way down the hall to the kitchen.

Stephanie walked back into the bedroom, not entirely sure what to do or say. Hunter followed her out, coming behind her as she began to make the bed out of habit and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Wanna talk about it?” he asked, not rubbing her stomach like he usually did when he had her in this position. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

She shook her head no. “It’s not _that_. I’m just… at a loss for words is all. I mean,” she said, turning around slowly, looking up at her husband. “It’s all so _real_ , you know? At least when Shawn got excited about it before it was just hypothetical. Now we’re having a baby, and there’s so much extra to do.”

“You’re not going to give him or her up?” Stephanie knew that his phrase didn’t just suggest the adoption alternative, and she shook her head again.

“How could I? Not when all this is really happening.” She smiled in spite of herself. “Besides, Shawn would never forgive. I… would never forgive me, probably.”

Hunter pulled her all the way against his body, her ear right above his heart as usual. The strong, steady beat always managed to calm her down. “The first thing we’re going to do is get you in to see the doctor so we have an idea of how far along you are and what we need to do to prepare.”

He leaned back and tilted her head up, looking her in the eye. “I love you so much. Even though I’m not as outwardly excited as that one in there,” he said, cocking his head in the general direction of where Shawn was in the kitchen, “I am absolutely excited and terrified to be doing this with both of you.”

“You do realize that my requests for foot massages are going to be way more warranted now, right?” Steph asked, still smiling. “I love you too.”

Hunter just laughed and bent to scoop her up bridal-style into his arms. “I’ll do my best not to complain for the little one’s sake. Now, let’s get some food in you. You’re eating for two now, after all.”

* * *

Her first ultrasound revealed that she was about a month and a half along, while her first meeting with her OB-GYN revealed that there was a chance between thirteen and twenty percent that she would lose the baby in the womb due to the complication of her previous surgery.

“That’s just great news, isn’t it?” Steph said, nearly in tears when she told Hunter and Shawn when she got home, Shawn immediately getting up to wrap his arms around her. “A one-in-five chance that I’ll miscarry just because.”

“That’s still a four-in-five chance that you won’t, baby,” Shawn tried to reassure her, Steph taking deep breaths as she put her head on his shoulder. “And Hunter and I will do our damnedest to make sure nothing will add to your stress, okay?”

Hunter nodded as he came over to Stephanie as well, stroking her hair as Shawn still held her. “Anything you need, anything we can do, we’ll do it.”

“You say ‘jump’, we’ll ask ‘how high’,” Shawn agreed.

Their promise came in handy when the holidays rolled around just a few months later. “You’ve got the hotel room set up?” Steph asked the day before Thanksgiving, rubbing her slightly-showing bump as she walked out of the kitchen to where Shawn was in the living room. “It’s only for one night.”

“I picked myself up a nice little suite at the Hilton downtown,” Shawn replied, patting the couch next to him for her to sit down. “It has a jacuzzi tub, so I can just jacuzzi my troubles away.”

“Lucky you,” Steph said, amused. “Don’t enjoy yourself too much without us.”

“Believe me, I’m going to be miserable without you two tonight. You know I never sleep well when I’m away.” He curled an arm around her shoulders as she sat down, rubbing her upper arm. “Are you still going to withhold alcohol from me tomorrow? Because that’s just gonna make me even sadder.”

She nodded, shrugging when he pouted. “Can’t run the risk of you and Hunter getting caught making out in the laundry room. Mom and Dad don’t know about the three of us, and that might… startle them, to say the least.”

Shawn made a “pfft” sound, putting his head on Stephanie’s shoulder. “To say the very least.”  He looked down at her bump, putting his hand over it. “We find out whether it’s a boy or a girl next week, right?”

“Mhm.” She watched his hand on her stomach, half-expecting a kick though it was far too soon for anything like that to happen. “You gonna be disappointed if you don’t get your little boy like you wanted?”

“I just want you and them to be safe, Steph. I couldn’t care less if it’s a boy or a girl as long as you two are alright.” She turned to look at him, kissing him on the lips when he did the same.

Hunter came back with the turkey a couple of hours later, insisting that Steph stay off her feet while he got it set up for roasting tomorrow. “We’d fry it again like last year,” he explained to Shawn, who looked mildly disappointed that he was getting neither booze _nor_ fried meat on the only holiday that encouraged overindulgence, “but her mother didn’t like it and Mother Nature in there said roasting it is healthier.”

“It _is_!” Stephanie insisted, now reclining back in Shawn’s arms, still on the couch. “I’m letting you have garlic mashed potatoes; you’ve won one battle.”

Despite the issue of the turkey and alcohol, Thanksgiving went smoothly. “It’s so nice that you’re able to join us all for the holidays, Shawn,” Vince said, clapping him on the back. “It’s like you’re a part of the family by now. A third son, if you will.”

“Welcome to the family, baby brother,” Hunter teased, toasting him with his glass of sparkling grape juice while Stephanie just chuckled. Vince had no idea how much of a part of their family Shawn really was.

“Aren’t you two excited to find out what you’re having?” Linda asked, putting her hand over Stephanie’s. “Your father and I were so excited when we found out with both you and your brother.”

“Well, Hunter has his heart set on a little girl, but Shawn -”

“I’m convinced that they’ve got a boy on their hands.” Steph looked at Shawn across the table, thankful for his save. That would have been a bigger issue than anyone would’ve wanted to deal with that night.

A week later, Stephanie texted him from outside the doctor’s office as Hunter pulled the car up to the curb. _Hunter was right - we have a little princess on our hands. :)_

 _Oh well_ , Shawn texted back. _Maybe she’ll have my hair._

* * *

The last two weeks leading up to their baby girl’s due date were easily the most strenuous of the entire pregnancy for Steph. Somehow, the currently-unnamed (and really, they needed to decide on a name together before she was born) infant had found her bladder and made herself comfortable there, making Steph rush to the bathroom if she ever drank more than a glass of water in one sitting. That, coupled with the swollen feet and steady back pain just made it really hard to sleep overall. And, like most of her vices nowadays, coffee was not an extremely reasonable option.

“You’ll be sleeping soundly when they dope you up during labor,” Hunter reminded her, looking confused when she shook her head. “What, you’re not getting anything?”

“I want to be able to feel if something’s wrong and tell the doctors so.” She looked at herself in the long mirror on the back of the bedroom door, turning to the side to see just how wide she was by now.

“So, hypothetically, if you have to get a C-section and they cut you open, you wanna feel all that?” Shawn wrinkled his nose. “I know you have a thing for pain, Steph, but damn.”

Later that night, Stephanie was starting to wish that she had some sleeping pills, at least. “You’re still up?” Hunter asked softly after she turned over for what had to be the tenth time in between her boys. “I figured that you’d’ve been out for a while by now.”

“Back hurts,” she offered as an explanation. “Plus I’ve got too much on my mind. We need to pick out a name. I want to avoid using anyone’s mother’s or grandmother’s name, since Shane already took Linda for himself.”

Hunter’s voice fell to a low whisper, even though Steph was positive that Shawn was asleep behind her. “I, uh, actually… had an idea about a first name, if you wanna hear it.”

Steph shrugged. “Lay it on me.”

“Well, you know how Shawn’s been a real trooper with all of this baby stuff with everyone, and her last name’s going to be McMahon-Helmsley? I was thinking that, for him to kind of have a stake in it all, we name her Shauna.”

Steph’s heart melted. It wasn’t any different than fathers naming their sons after themselves, but knowing that Shauna McMahon-Helmsley would have a piece of each of them all to herself, well… it just felt right. She nodded. “That’s _perfect_ , babe. Yeah, absolutely.”

“But I want to keep it a surprise from Shawn.” Hunter put his hand on her arm. “Imagine when he comes in after the delivery and sees her there, and hears her name for the first time. It’ll be beautiful.”

“He did want a mini-Shawn, remember?” She giggled quietly. “He’ll be over the moon.” She hugged Hunter loosely, leaving room for her stomach in between as she felt Shauna - and that was nice, another thing to cross off the planning list - wiggle around, awake inside her despite the fact it was past midnight. She had to get _some_ sleep before Shauna came, because then she knew she’d be getting none at all.

* * *

“I feel like my stomach’s going to explode!”

“We’re almost to the hospital, take deep breaths, it’s okay.” Hunter reached his hand over the console to hold hers as she tried to remember what she had picked up in that one Lamaze class that Hunter forced her to go to. _Doesn’t seem so stupid now, does it?_ asked a little voice in her head that she just wanted to club over the head like a baby seal.

“Get valet parking. I don’t care how much it costs, just get me in there and in a bed as soon as possible.” Her husband nodded, squeezing her hand as pulled into the hospital parking lot, driving up the aisle directly to the front where an attendant was there waiting behind his stand, as if the universe knew.

“Thank you _so_ much,” Steph managed to get out before hurrying inside as fast as her feet would take her. She wasn’t entirely sure how far apart the contractions were, but they were strong enough to make her just want to get into the delivery room before she found out. Within a minute of Hunter approaching the receptionist at the front desk, there was a wheelchair wheeled out to take her away.

“You’re going to call Shawn, right?” she asked as a nurse helped her lower herself into the seat. “I know he’ll want to see me depending on how long I’m in labor.”

“Well, I’m going to have to go back home and get your overnight bag with your clothes and everything anyway, so I’ll call him on the way there in the car so he’ll know to hang tight.” Hunter walked alongside the wheelchair, Steph reaching out to hold his hand again. “He might not be able to be there for the delivery, you know. I don’t know the limit on how many people can be in the room with you at one time.

“We normally have just two people at a time, sir,” the nurse offered helpfully.

“So you and… crap, Mom’s gonna want to be there.” There was no way that Stephanie was going to tell her mother than she couldn’t be there for the birth of her granddaughter. “Looks like he really _is_ gonna have to hang tight.”

“I’ll call them on the way home too,” Hunter added, squeezing her hand gently as she was helped into bed. “I’ll be back here as soon as possible, okay?” He leaned in close to kiss her forehead. “Everything’s going to be alright.”

Unfortunately, Steph had left her phone on the kitchen counter in her rush out the door, but she knew Hunter would bring it back with him and the overnight bag. Still, it bothered her to be alone in the delivery room, looking at the plain white wall in front of her with absolute boredom. She was so loved, Shauna was already so loved, but everything would just be better when she knew everything was good and both Hunter and Shawn were there with her and their little bundle of joy.

“Any news?” Hunter came in with her overnight bag about twenty minutes later, apparently not going over the speed limit as much as he had when getting Stephanie there the first time. “What’s the dilation?”

“Contractions aren’t as far apart as I’d thought, and I’m eight centimeters dilated.” She accepted his kiss when he came over to the bed, pulling a chair from the far wall with him to sit next to her. “Close, but no cigar.”

“You’ll get there, I’m sure.” He was back to holding her hand again almost immediately after sitting down. “Your mother’s on her way, and your dad knows as well.”

“And Shawn?”

“Excited and panicky but I told him to stay at work since he can’t be in the delivery room right now. I told him he’d know about the birth immediately after it happens.” Hunter laughed. “You should’ve heard him, babe. ‘Is Steph alright? Tell her to focus on happy things and get an epidural.’”

Steph shook her head. “I’m still not doing that.” She cringed, squeezing Hunter’s hand as another contraction overtook her body. “Jesus Christ, this little girl’s gonna kill me!”

“She probably would be trying to kill you less if you’d just accept the painkillers…”

“ _No_ , Hunter!”

Seven hours, a lot of pain, and still no epidural later, Shauna Diana McMahon-Helmsley came into the world just after nine. “She’s here,” Steph heard Hunter say through her pain-induced haze, looking as her baby was taken away to be cleaned after they delayed the cord-clamping a few minutes after Shauna was born.

“She’s so beautiful, Shawn, just you wait until you get here - light hair, screaming like a banshee, just like you.” Hunter chuckled, Steph reaching out again to take Hunter’s hand again as the doctor reminded her that she had to deliver the placenta as well.

“A single firm push should do it,” the doctor said, one hand on what was left of the umbilical cord while Steph tried not to gag at the sight, doing as the doctor said and feeling what was left of the past nine months inside her leave her body.

“Shawn’s on his way now,” Hunter assured her, putting his phone back in his pocket before going back to stroke her hand with the one that wasn’t holding hers already. “He’s so excited, baby.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You did it. You’re so strong and you did it.”

“I just want to have her in my arms,” Steph mumbled, turning her head to look at her husband. “My baby… my god, we have a baby.”

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Hunter said as the nurse came back with a tiny bundle with skin as pink as the blanket she was wrapped in. “There’s our princess,” he said softly. “There’s our Shauna.”

The nurse placed Shauna in Stephanie’s arms, Stephanie watching her little girl with a type of love she’d never felt before. Her eyes were shut, but Steph could already tell that she was going to be the most beautiful little angel in the world.

Shawn came in mere minutes later, practically skidding into the room that now just consisted of Steph, Hunter, and Shauna. “Over here,” Steph offered, Shawn’s face lighting up as he hurried over to the bed, squatting slightly to be at eye level with Steph and the baby.

“What’s her name?” he asked quietly, probably in just as much awe as she and Hunter had been when they first saw her. “She’s _beautiful_.”

“Her name’s Shauna,” Hunter replied, smiling that little knowing smile that Stephanie knew he had been waiting to use for weeks now. “Shauna Diana McMahon-Helmsley.”

Shawn blinked and looked between the two of them. “Shauna, like… Shawn? Like me?” His voice was already cracking, looking back down at baby Shauna like she’d tell him herself. “You named her after me?”

“Well, we had to name her after one of her daddies, didn’t we?” Steph asked, beaming up at him. “Here, do you want to hold her? She’s sleeping, but she should be fine in your arms.”

“Of course,” Shawn breathed out, taking Shauna and the blanket off of Stephanie’s chest slowly, immediately supporting her head once Shauna was against his chest. “She’s so beautiful,” he repeated, not taking his eyes off of their daughter, who remained fast asleep. “My beautiful little Shauna-bear.”

“Already with the nicknames,” Hunter teased, going over to stand next to Shawn at Steph’s side, rubbing her shoulder and looking down at her, smiling softly. “I told you he’d love her name.”

“It’s because it involves himself,” Steph teased back, noticing how Shawn didn’t seem to even hear her as he kept his eyes on Shauna, watching her chest rise and fall slowly with every breath.

Stephanie hadn’t thought that she was missing something before until now. Now that their baby girl was here with them, safe and sound, Stephanie knew that being with her family, all four of them now, was where she truly belonged.


End file.
